Asked and Answered
by ioanhoratio
Summary: A Tag-on to 6X16 Uncertainty Rules. After the events of the bloody case, Danny gets some advice from a friend to help him be a better husband. Chapter two now added and we get a bit of D/L loving!
1. Chapter 1

**Asked and Answered**

**By: ioanhoratio**

**A/N: This is a tag-on to the episode 6X16 _Uncertainty Rules. Laurzz_ did a wonderful job adding on the DL (and DLL) that was missing from the episode (thanks Laura for doing that each week by the way!) so this isn't that kind of story. It isn't strictly DL--although it is definately a DL story (as if I would write anything else!). I really enjoyed the episode, so much so that this tag-on has been rolling around in my head, refusing to leave me alone. I hope you enjoy!**

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"Midnight," Detective Danny Messer mumbled as he ran a hand over his tired face. It seemed like ages ago when his phone had buzzed, notifying him of the quadruple homicide. The 5 a.m. wake up call had sent a bleary-eyed Danny out into the cold, dark morning--after, of course, kissing an equally bleary-eyed Lindsay and a wide awake Lucy goodbye. That had been over 18 hours ago. Danny loved cases that kept them moving, kept them searching and solving, as step by step they brought justice to the world.

It was days like today, the exhilaration of the chase, that reminded him why he loved his job. It was also days like today that reminded him why he sometimes thought a new line of work may be in order; four young people brutally murdered. It was all the violence; violence had kept him from his family. Another day in Lucy's life where he had only seen her for about half an hour.

Danny gave a heavy sigh. At least this time his time away from her and Lindsay had proven productive. There were two less bad guys on the street.

"Yo, Dann-o," a friendly voice called out, pulling him from his thoughts. Danny turned to find his friend, Detective Don Flack, approaching. "Hell of a day Mess, don't ya think?"

Danny gave Don a wry smile and agreed, "Yeah, don't tell Linds, but I'm uh think' about a career change."

Confused, Don asked, "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, professional Bingo player. I hear it's quite lucrative."

"I beg ta differ," Don shot back in his best snooty voice.

Exhaustion coursed through the two men making Don's quib seem funnier than it actually was, but after the day they had been through it felt good to be laughing.

"Man, I thought that old broad was gonna fly over the table at us," Don said.

"I'm a married man Flack, so she's all yours," Danny teased.

Don gave an exaggerated shudder. "Thanks Messer," Don's sarcastic tone belaying any true gratitude, "You headin' home?"

"Yeah, go home, eat dinner alone, see my sleeping child and sleeping wife," Danny grumbled.

Don frowned in understanding and invited, "Look since it's so late, you think one more hour would hurt? Me, Mac, Stella, and Doc are gonna grab a beer if ya wanna come."

Danny thought for a moment. What he wanted was to talk to Lindsay and play with Lucy, but he had called them hours ago to let his wife know he was going to be held up with the case, and to tell them goodnight. While he preferred his time with his family, he really needed a chance to unwind. He was beyond tired, but didn't feel ready to go home to his sweet family until some of the darkness of the day had worn off.

"Yeah, sure. Why not?" Danny finally answered.

"A'right," Don smiled, "Mac is with James Roberts. His family is set to arrive soon then we're gonna head out to the bar."

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Fifteen minutes later Danny found himself in the corner of a booth, sipping a beer, surrounded by his friends.

"So, we're standin' there thinkin' we got the killer makin' a full confession except I just couldn't wrap my mind around it. I mean, how tall did you say this guy was Hawkes?" Don asked mid-story.

"Three foot nine," Hawkes answered.

"Right," Don said, diving back into his story, "Then Danny dares to suggest this guy had help and he was insulted. Finally, he says it was the easiest grand he'd ever made, that's when I knew some how our lines of communication had gotten crossed."

Danny jumped in, "It was classic 'cause Flack just looks at the guy and goes, 'what're you talkin' about' and this guy shoot back with 'what're you talkin' about' and the look on Don's face was hilarious."

The group laughed as Don re-enacted his look of disbelief and confusion.

"It sounds like you guys met some interesting characters today," Stella laughed, "Speaking of interesting characters, how's Lucy doing these days?"

Danny couldn't help the grin that spread over his face at the thought of his baby daughter, "She is a character; an absolute ham, just like her mother."

"Why do I get the feeling Lindsay would say Lucy's just like her father?" Mac teased.

Danny just rolled his eyes but pulled out his cell phone.

"Ya gotta see this picture Linds sent me today," Danny told them as he scrolled through is picture mail, "She said she was about to load up the dishwasher when her phone rang and so she stepped out of the kitchen for a second, came back in and found this."

He passed the phone around which showed a photograph of Lucy sitting on the open dishwasher door, grinning.

"She is so adorable," Stella gushed handing the phone back to Danny.

"She's a stinker who climbs on everything," Danny griped, but it was clear to all present the father had nothing but love for the tiny girl in the photo.

The conversation grew quite for a moment and Hawkes turned to Stella, "I'm thinkin' we need some music. Want to help me pick a song from the juke box?"

Stella nodded eagerly, and the two slid out of the booth, talking about what kind of music they were in the mood for.

"And I need a refill," Don pointed out, "You two?"

Both Danny and Mac shook their heads and Don wandered off towards the bar.

The two men left at the table sat in a comfortable silence, each occupied with the events of the day. Finally, the silence was broken when Danny turned to Mac.

"Can I ask ya somethin' Boss?"

Mac nodded easily, though he heard the slight apprehension in the younger man's voice.

Danny slowly turned his beer, fiddling with the label as he asked, "Did ya ever lie to Claire to protect her?"

Mac was surprised by the question. He had lived with the loss of his wife for nearly nine years, and had even talked with Danny about his life with Claire, but sometimes he was still caught off guard by the twist in his chest when he heard her talked about in the passed tense. Mac took a swallow of his beer to allow his emotions to recover, then clearing his throat answered, "Yes and it was a mistake."

"She found out?" Danny pushed.

"Yes, but that's not why it was a mistake," Mac explained, "It didn't help things, but just getting caught wasn't what made what I did the mistake. The lying to her part was the mistake."

Danny nodded but wondered aloud, "Aren't there things in life that are just better left alone?"

"I thought so at the time," Mac agreed, "But what I learned was that when I thought I was protecting her I was really hurting her."

"I don't mean to pry..." Danny trailed off.

Mac knew Danny was asking for advice not details, but Mac wanted to see Danny and Lindsay succeed in life. They had been given an opportunity in life that Mac and Claire had been denied so he said, "It was after I got back from Beirut. I wasn't as honest with Claire about what had happened over seas. I thought I knew what was better for her than she did. I couldn't hide what I had been through; I thought I could. She saw though and it hurt her to know that I wouldn't talk to her about it. It took some time, but I finally opened up to her and I realized how selfish I was being."

"Lindsay...she wants, or rather expects absolute honesty about everything. It's a big deal to her ya know? And not that I think we should lie to each other," Danny corrected quickly, struggling to express himself, "I just don't know how to say things that will hurt her. Does that make sense?"

Mac chuckled, "More than you know Danny. Sometimes communicating your love for another persons means you're responsible for telling them things they may not want to hear. Lindsay knows what secrets can do to a person, to a relationship. It makes sense that she would resent being left in the dark."

Danny sighed as he pushed his beer away, "She's gonna ask me about the case. She always does...what am I gonna tell'er?"

Mac didn't need Danny to explain. The case was obviously a scenario out of a nightmare--to watch as one's friends are brutally murdered--but it was a nightmare the Messer family was all too familiar with. Instead of answering his question Mac began, "Tonight I sat across from Jason Roberts and told him he was going to be ok. Those weren't just words repeated in a rote presentation to make him feel better. I believe them because I have seen it with my own eyes. We both know the effect witnessing such a violent act had on Lindsay, the fear, uncertainty, and pain she lived with, but we also know that she was able to over come all that, and become a loving, strong, and confident woman. I know Jason Roberts will have a lot to deal with in the future, but it is possible for him to take his life back. Lindsay can handle the truth Danny and you need to trust her enough to be honest."

"It's not that I don't think she can handle it Mac," Danny declared defensively, "I know she can. If you don't think I live in awe of that woman every day then you're crazy. It's just..." Danny hesitated. He knew how important Lindsay considered her privacy and how hard she worked to ensure no one doubted her ability, but Danny needed some one to talk to about this so he lowered his voice to convey his need for confidentiality, "I've seen her toss at night caught in the terror of what she saw. I've held her while she cried for those who lost their lives. Despite how much she has accomplished I know there are days when she's still haunted by the ghosts of those girls, and now as a mom I know she struggles with the idea of Lucy one day experiencin' the realities of the real world. I just hate to remind her of all that."

Danny's expression showed a man who was pleading for help, a man whose love for his wife had brought him to a cross roads and he wasn't sure what was correct.

"I can't tell you what to do Danny or what is the right answer. Only you know how your relationship with Lindsay would be affected, but I can offer you an insight I learned. No matter what the topic of discussion, showing your wife your support, love, respect, and that she can lean on you when she needs the extra help is more important than words could ever be."

"Yeah," Danny agreed quietly. He glanced down at his watch and saw that it was nearing one in the morning. His eyes felt like cotton and his arms ached to hold his wife. He took one last pull off his beer, then stood. "Thanks Mac. I appreciate it, as all ways."

Mac put two fingers to his forehead and gave a lazy salute, "Good night Danny, and I want to say that I think Lindsay is very lucky to have you. A lesser man wouldn't waste time considering these things. I'm proud of you."

Danny was almost too tired to blush, but he managed as he ducked his head in embarrassment. "Night Mac."

Danny waved to the rest of the crew then ducked out into the night. As he made his way home he thought about what he was going to do. He knew Mac was right and that he needed to trust and believe in Lindsay's strength, but the idea of reminding her of the injustices of man made him feel sick inside. But was that just him being selfish? He knew he what he had to do, he just hoped he had the strength to do it. She deserved the best.

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**So I'm considering writing an additional chapter--Danny and Lindsay discussing the days events, but I'm interested in knowing if the story ends better here. It's ok to feel that way! Sometimes a story needs to end, but if you think one more chapter would be appropriate then please let me know!**

**Thanks for reading!!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Asked and Answered**

**Part 2**

**By: ioanhoratio**

**A/N: Anyone remember this story? ^_^This chapter is for afrozenheart412, because she asked for it and because she is a great friend (you know what you did and this is my way of saying thanks). I have to be honest I struggled with this chapter because I wasn't sure how I wanted Lindsay to react. I had been thinking on it, but as I have read CharmedBec's_ Hold Me Now_ I have been thinking more and more about Lindsay's situation-and if you want to read a stunning story, go read hers NOW! So I would be remise in not saying that her story influenced this chapter. As I mentioned in chapter one_ Laurzz _wrote a fantastic one-shot to the end of this episode and if you haven't checked it out, you should definitely head that way as well! Thank you so much to afrozenheart412, Brinchen86, dantana-balscofanxoxo, Lindsay1234, laurzz, KTmac09, saderia, kdzl, uscrocks, AnickaMarie, and NothatRose for the wonderful reviews! And thank you to Linoria, lastlovesangel,, Rogue903, and CMW2 also. Hope you enjoy the conclusion.**

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"Dad-eee," a tiny voice called.

Danny's eyes flew open when he felt warm little fingers pat his cheek.

"Lucy," Lindsay whispered harshly from somewhere, "let Daddy sleep."

Lucy, stared at him, debating whether to obey her mother or continue this new game with her father.

"S'ok," Danny croaked, pushing himself up, and finding himself sitting on the couch in their living room. Lucy threw her mom a triumphant look and scrambled up next to him and wrapped her arms around his next, hugging him tightly.

"Sorry," Lindsay mouthed, coming into view.

Danny just waved her off, and focused on returning the hug to the little girl in his arms. He kissed her hair and patted her diaper covered booty.

"What happened to ya clothes Luce?"

"Her diaper leaked. She woke up all wet," Lindsay explained. Danny scrunched his face up as he tried to get his tired eyes to focus on the digital readout on the stereo.

_6:37_

"Nothin' like a good five hours of sleep," Danny groaned. The living room was filled with a pale grey light as the sun began to rise.

Lindsay plopped down next to him, and ran her fingers lazily through his messy hair. "You must've had a tough night for you to crash on the couch."

Lucy climbed over him to spread her body over both her parents and giggled as her head hung over the edge of the couch. Danny took that moment to rub his eyes vigorously with the heels of his hands and let out a long sigh.

Lindsay flinched. "Wow! You stink, babe. You smell like old beer and...mold? What _did_ you do last night."

Danny gave his wife a dirty look. "Laugh it up Montana. If ya not careful I might try an' kiss ya."

"Not with that morning breath you won't," Lindsay argued and gave an exaggerated shutter, "Blah."

Lucy whipped her head up and repeated, "Blah!"

Lindsay laughed while Danny scowled.

"I get no respect," he whined.

"Stinky and cranky," Lindsay observed with a raised eyebrow. Her look softened though when she realized Danny had gone out drinking for a reason. "Hey, seriously, everything alright?"

Danny swallowed and grimaced at the bad taste in his mouth. Clearing his throat, he answered, "Yeah, we jus' had a tough case yesterday, long and involved. Everyone just needed a chance to unwind. I figured since my girls where long asleep, you wouldn't miss me the extra hour it took to grab a beer. Then when I got home it was a little after one in the morning, I jus' sat down on the couch for minute an' next thing I know, this little one is tryin' to shove her fingers in my mouth." He tickled Lucy's naked belly, and reveled in the sound of her laughter. "I musta fallen asleep."

Lindsay nodded in understanding. There had been plenty of nights before Lucy was born that she had just come home, and crashed on the couch. It had surprised her when she had awoken that morning to find Danny's side of the bed empty and cold. A moment of dread had filled her, a dozen scenarios playing out in her mind, but she had then heard his soft snoring coming from the living room, and her racing heart had calmed. There were a few advantages to being shoved in a tiny apartment. Of course, a down side was that, despite Lindsay's instructions not to, the moment Lucy realized Daddy was within reach she had scrambled over to him and woken him up.

Taking in her husband's lazy eyelids and tired face, she suggested, "Why don't you go back to bed. Your shift doesn't start until 11:00. You can get a few more hours."

Danny leaned over and rested his head against her shoulder, his eyes closed. For a moment in time Lucy sat still, nestled against her parents and they just sat. Lindsay thought Danny had drifted back to sleep, but his quick response when Lucy began wiggling to get down told her otherwise. He helped the toddler to slide easily and safely to the floor, though he didn't move his head from its resting place. Instead, once it was clear Lucy was balanced on her own two feet, Danny snuggled closer to Lindsay. She again brought her hand up and gently stroked his hair back from his face. She knew he loved the feel of her fingernails lightly scratching his skin, and he let out a contented moan.

"Let's jus' stay here today," he mumbled, "We'll stay jus' like this."

Lindsay loved cuddly-Danny. When they had begun their relationship, Lindsay had gotten the impression that snuggling was new to Danny. He'd only seemed to be able to lie close to her after they had made love, and even that didn't extend beyond her lying across his chest or her back pressed to his chest. It had taken a bit of time before Danny had reached for her hand when they were walking together, or for him to pull her close to his side while they were watching a movie. They had been sleeping together for about six months before Danny had finally allowed himself to initiate any form of intimate touching beyond sex. Lindsay had thought her heart was going to explode out of her chest the first time Danny had reached for her in the middle of the night, and had just tucked her body close to his. He had almost seemed embarrassed by it the next morning, but she was quick to tell him how much she enjoyed just sleeping in his arms. After that, their touching had evolved into a way to communicate deeper emotions. Danny hadn't been ready to say 'I love you' but he had learned to show it. Lindsay had been happy with the progress of their relationship, but the tragedy of Ruben Sandoval's death had undone everything they had worked for.

The pain of that time, the separation, the distance had nearly destroyed them, but in the end forgiveness, patience, understanding, and love had brought them back together. When Danny had learned of Lindsay's pregnancy, he had begun a tradition of touching her belly and from there, their physical contact had grown into something stronger. Now he would grab her and hold her, snuggle, cuddle, and hug her. He had embraced a new definition of lover, and that had rolled over into his role as father. There was nothing that Danny loved more than to hold a sleeping Lucy tightly to him.

Lindsay was pulled from her reflections when she felt Danny's head sliding slowly off her shoulder. He had fallen back to sleep. Knowing Lucy wouldn't put up with her mother and father lazing on the couch for long, Lindsay nudge Danny awake.

"I'm up," Danny cried, wiping at the bit of drool that had begun to form at the corner of his mouth.

Lindsay wasn't fooled. "Seriously, Danny, go lay down in the bed."

Shaking his head, he stood and stretched, the bones in his back cracking in protest. "Nah, I won't getta see you or Lucy much today if I go back to bed. By the time I get up, you'll be at work an' Lucy'll be doin' who knows what with the sitter. I missed you guys yesta'day. Jus' let me jump in the shower, get this nasty taste outta my mouth, an' I'll join you for breakfast."

With a small smile, Lindsay just nodded. She would love for him to get some more sleep, but she selfishly wanted to spend time with him, and she knew Lucy wanted that too. Their job as CSI's and their job as parents had conflicting schedules. They had learned to take advantage of anytime they could have together.

Sensing her conflict, Danny gave her a wicked grin before swinging down and placing a playful kiss against her lips. When he went to deepen the kiss Lindsay shoved him away. "Ugh!"

Danny tried to dodge around her arms and moved in to kiss her again, but Lindsay ducked away from him laughing.

"Jus' one kiss," he teased, "ya know ya want one."

"Gross," Lindsay declared, "Shower first, then we'll talk about it."

"I'm honestly hurt," Danny said, then turning to his daughter continued to ham it up, "Mommy is so mean to Daddy. Won't even give him a little kiss."

Lindsay rolled her eyes, and Lucy just shook her head dramatically.

Throwing his arms up in surrender, Danny headed to the bedroom. He frowned as he passed by their bed, his body screaming for the chance to stretch out and just rest his eyes, but he knew if he even sat down he would slip into oblivion and miss the chance to spend the morning with his family. Instead, he focused his attention on peeling his grungy, day old clothes off, and made his way into the bathroom. Soon, the hot water from the shower was running over his body, easing some of the tension. The case involving the death of several young people and the lone survivor seemed to lose its hold on him.

It would be a lie to say that Lindsay's past had never entered his mind when he had been considering their relationship's longevity. It was a lot to deal with, and a relationship can be hard enough without the added baggage of childhood trauma. Danny had experienced first hand how it had effected Lindsay. He had resented the hot and cold he had received from her before the trial, and then had felt guilty for his resentment when he had learned the reason behind her, and as a result his, emotion upheaval. He knew Lindsay hadn't wanted his pity and hadn't told him because she didn't want her life to be defined by that one moment in time. He had forgiven her actions towards him, and had been there for her when she had needed him most. Danny knew certain cases effected Lindsay in different ways; different from other investigators. There were times when he wondered at her ability to face her nightmares. He had committed to being the man she needed-all that it entailed-and he never regretted that decision.

Mac was a considerate boss, and was sensitive to her situation. He tended to steer her away from cases that were too close to her own experience, but Mac had assured Lindsay that he did it out of curtesy; not because he didn't think she could handle it. Danny had equal confidence in her ability, but he knew that it was still a struggle for her at times. He hated the idea of bringing up memories that she fought to keep away. However, he also knew it would be better for him to tell her about it, rather than her hear about it from someone else at the lab.

Danny was still contemplating how to bring up the topic of the case when he came into the kitchen, freshly showered and smelling much better. Lucy squealed in delight, offering him a handful of soggy waffles.

Danny pretended to eat the waffle, as well as Lucy's proffered hand. The little girl laughed and pulled her hand away.

"No, ee, Dad-ee!"

"No eat?" Danny asked, "but Lucy taste so good!"

"No!" Lucy cried, raising her hand up in the same way Lindsay would when Lucy was getting into trouble, "No, ee oos-ee, ee waf."

"A'right, No eat Lucy, eat waffle," Danny agreed, "ya hear that Linds? Bring me my waffle!"

Lindsay just rolled her eyes, but slid a plate over to him. "They're Eggo's. Didn't have time for homemade."

Danny ignored the plate and quickly made his way over to his wife. He pulled her away from the toaster, where her own waffles were warming, and turned her to face him.

"Good mornin'" he whispered, his voice rumbly and scratchy. He lowered his head, and Lindsay responded by pushing up onto the balls of her feet. They met in a sweet, languid kiss.

"Good morning," she parroted, pulling back. Her voice was just as quiet when she added, "This is much better."

"I clean up pretty good, huh?" he teased.

"I'll say," Lindsay said, wagging her eyebrows at him suggestively. "Now eat, before your food gets cold."

Danny stepped away, grabbed his plate, and sat next to Lucy at the table. Lindsay turned and clicked on the little TV that sat on the counter. The sounds of the morning news filled the tiny kitchen.

Danny groaned.

Lindsay whipped around. "I just want to hear the weather for today and then I'll turn it off," she promised. Danny hated the news, and he hated it even more when it cut into his time with his family. Lindsay had grown up with the news on in the background every morning; it had become a compromise between them that when he was home for breakfast, once the weather had been predicted, the TV was turned back off. They both agreed that they didn't want Lucy to get in the habit of watching TV at the table, so it was an easy compromise to keep.

Lindsay buttered her warm waffle, then sat at the table with her family. Danny and Lucy played a game involving big and little bites, while Lindsay listened to the headlines of the day.

_One man is dead and another has been taken into custody after a shoot out with NYPD detectives. This morning we are following up on a tragic story we began reporting yesterday. Following a night of drugs, alcohol, and partying, four college-aged victims were found massacred in a New York City hotel. The bodies were discovered after a man was caught by police running down a street, wielding an axe, covered in blood. Initially believed to be the main suspect in the killings, this young man, whose name is being withheld at this time, proved in fact to be the only survivor and witness of the attack; a victim himself. His testimony helped lead investigators to this man, Rufus Knox, who is currently being held in custody on four counts of homicide. It has been reported that the young man survived by hiding_

Lindsay blinked in surprise when the the screen abruptly went dark . She looked around quickly to establish they hadn't lost power, but stopped when she realized Danny held the small white remote in his hand.

"Hey, I was watching that," she griped

"It ain't the weather," Danny grumbled.

"It was coming on next," Lindsay argued, holding her hand out for the remote.

Danny hesitated. "Linds..."

"What?" she snapped, frustrated by his behavior, her confusion clear on her face.

With a heavy sigh, Danny set the remote on the table, but the slump of his shoulders kept Lindsay from grabbing it.

"What Danny? What's wrong?" she pressed, concerned by his sudden reticence.

"It jus' that story they were reporting, the one with the dead kids..." he trailed off, his eyes telling more than his words.

"Oh," Lindsay's confusion cleared. "Was that the case you guys were working on yesterday?"

Danny nodded slowly. He knew her mind would assume that he didn't want to hear the story because it had been a difficult case for him, and a part of Danny wanted to leave it at that.

"Sorry," she offered sheepishly, "I'll just check the weather on my laptop."

They resumed their eating in silence, Lucy sensing a shift in the atmosphere, chose to eat her breakfast without complaint.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Lindsay finally asked. Danny knew it was too easy to believe his inquisitive wife would let the subject drop. Seeing that Lucy was busy with trying to master the use of the child's size plastic fork, Danny decided to go ahead and address the issue he had been stewing over.

"It was a bad one Linds," he told her, "For once, I was glad you weren't at work."

Lindsay gave him a guarded look.

Danny knew that look, the one that said tred carefully. He began to explain, "Four young kids, ya know? They had so much ahead of 'em and this guy gets pissed an' jus' kills 'em, with an axe. He jus' takes away their future because of greed and anger."

"It was a crime of passion?" Lindsay asked, confused. They dealt with that all the time.

"Sorta. It was this kids 21st birthday, right? His friends take him out drinkin' and partyin' and along the way they wind up with a big wad a'cash. These two girls, who managed to get away from their pimp, see the cash and thinks to get the guys smashed and high, then make off with the dough."

Lindsay just nodded; his story making sense.

"They go back to the hotel, the pimp follows 'em and uses an axe, just butchers 'em Linds; an absolute bloodbath."

"But there was a survivor," Lindsay stated, pulling the detail from the news.

"Yeah, the birthday boy was hiding...he uh...he was in the bathroom, tripping pretty hard on LSD," Danny said, choosing his words carefully. He wished he hadn't used the word hiding. He eyed Lindsay and watched as she absorbed and assimilated what he had told her.

"You were worried about telling me." Danny wasn't sure if she meant it as a statement or a question, but he nodded.

When Lindsay didn't say anything else, Danny felt prompted to add, "I was worried that it would bring up unpleasant memories."

Lindsay scoffed. "Unpleasant memories?"

Danny shrugged helplessly.

"Unpleasant memories are when you get stuck between your great Aunt Ida and Uncle Herman discussing the ways your parents screwed you up, or having a cavity filled at the dentist, Danny." Lindsay's voice was tight and clipped.

Danny didn't respond, although his natural defensiveness at her tone was desperate to defend himself. There were parts of Lindsay that she still kept from him. This particular part of her life was one that she chose not to talk about often, and Danny was still learning how to navigate in this type of situation. Though in the past they had lain awake at night and shared intimate and deep details with each other, it had taken several nights of long conversations for Lindsay to open up to him about this particular topic, and there were still bits and pieces he knew she hadn't shared with him. He knew she had talked more with him about it than anyone else in the world, but he worked for the day when she felt safe enough to tell him everything. With that in mind, Danny chose to ignore his inclination to tell her to stop being so rude to him, and decided instead to forgive her tone.

"So a guy is hiding in the bathroom while his friends are killed?" Lindsay finally asked, seeking to fill the silence.

Danny nodded.

"He's the only survivor?"

Again he nodded.

"How's he doing?"

Her question caught him off guard. Danny's eyes widened, then immediately he frowned, trying to remember what Mac had told him about James Roberts. "He...ah...he was still pretty high when the cops picked 'im up. It took a while for Flack an' I to glean anything useful from him. Mac worked with 'im, got 'im to calm down, and start remembering what had happened."

Lindsay sucked in a breath. At Danny's questioning look, Lindsay shrugged, "I just think it sucks that this kid had to be forced to remember something horrific. I mean I know it's the job, but sometimes the job sucks."

"Yeah," Danny agreed. He knew it was her testimony that sent away a killer; it was her memories that proved his guilt. "His family came to pick him up, an' Mac says he thinks the kid's gonna be a'right."

Lindsay didn't move. At first Danny didn't think she had heard him. He reached across the table and grabbed her hand in his. She brought her eyes to his, a haunted look in her brown orbs. "Linds, Mac said he thinks the kid's gonna be alright. He told me tonight that the reason he thinks that, is 'cause you've shown everyone that it's possible to go through something terrifying and come out on top."

Lindsay's glacial features softened. "He said that?"

"Yep."

"It's been really hard," she sighed.

"I know," Danny said quietly, his fingers softly stroking the back of her hand.

"It's going to be really hard for this guy," Lindsay observed.

"But Mac is right Linds, this guy has a chance. You've proven it's possible. You aren't Daniel Cadence's victim anymore," Danny pointed out.

Lindsay pulled her hand away. "Then why do I still get this sick feeling in my stomach at the mention of his name? Why do I feel so conflicted about what you've told me?" she pleaded to know.

"Because you're a human being Lindsay," Danny answered immediately, without thought or hesitation.

"What?"

"You're a human being," he said firmly, "Cadence tried to destroy your spirit and take away your life. You could've become angry, bitter, destructive, an' cut off from the world. Instead, you became a person who fights for justice, a loving friend, an amazing wife and lover, and an even better mom. You feel upset because Cadence failed to destroy your ability for compassion."

Lindsay was quiet as she mulled over his answer, then said, "So, you think that the pain I feel doesn't mean that I'm still caught in the past."

Danny shook his head, then asked, "Are you worried about that?"

Glancing at Lucy, who had a glob of syrup stuck to her cheek, Lindsay swallowed. "I worry that because this is a part of my life, it will be a part of hers."

Danny felt a twisting in his chest, a sadness that flowed from her voice to his heart. His mind searched for the right thing to say, anything that would take the uncertainty from her face. However, before he could comment Lucy decided she was done eating.

"Ah don, yay oo-see!" the little girl clapped.

Lindsay focused on her daughter, forcing the bile in her throat down and gushed, "All done? Good girl. Look Dad, Lucy cleaned her plate."

Danny turned to Lucy, and couldn't help but smile at the expectant look on her face. It was obvious she was waiting for his praise. "Yay Lucy!" he obediently chorused, "what a good eater."

"Dow?" she asked, beginning to squirm in her chair.

"Hold on baby girl, I gotta wipe ya off before you can get down," Danny chided, getting up from the table and grabbing a damp towel.

The child was at the stage that having her face cleaned was tantamount to torture. Lucy turned her head from side to side angrily, and whined. Her fussing escalated into to tears as she fought Danny's attempts to clean her up, but eventually the task was done and he lifted her from the table and set her on her feet.

Lucy toddled over to Lindsay, still unhappy and rested her face against her mother's leg.

Lindsay stroked her daughter's hair and cooed, "Did mean old Daddy clean off all that sticky syrup before he'd let you down?" Her over the top sweet tone hid her sarcasm. Lucy look up at her mom with big blue eyes, seeking comfort.

Unable to ignore her daughter's unspoken plea for tenderness, Lindsay pulled Lucy up into her lap and hugged her.

Danny wasn't hurt. If Lindsay had been the one to clean her up then Lucy would have reached for him. Their daughter knew how to work the system. Seeing Lucy's head snuggled under Lindsay's chin brought a calm feeling to his soul.

"Look at that Montana," he said softly, indicating their child's position.

Lindsay's forehead wrinkled in confusion as her eyes crossed a little from her attempt to look at what he was pointing to. "What?"

"How happy she is with her mommy," Danny pointed out. He knelt down next to them and rested a hand on Lucy's back. "You an' I both know you would do anything for this little girl. What happened in that diner has nothing to do with how much you love her and how much she loves you. When she gets older we'll figure out how to talk to her about it, but right now I think you should just focus on how happy she is."

Lindsay offered him a sad frown before whispering, "I just wish this would go away, forever."

"I know," he said sympathetically, before bringing his other hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear, "maybe it would help if you an' I talked about it more, ya know?" His offer was sincere though his tone belied his certainty. His attempts in the past to broach the topic had often been met with Lindsay's passive aggressive resistance. Her silence had him scrambling for the right thing to say and he stuttered, "Ya know if ya want...I mean I don't want to push ya or anything. What I mean is, if you feel comfortable talkin' about it with me, is all..." he trailed off and took a deep breath. Lindsay's forehead was again wrinkled with insecurities, and Danny simply want to smooth her fears away. He just wanted her to know that he was there, and suddenly he knew exactly what to say. "You know Lindsay, that no matter what happens, I'm here to stay. Nothin' is ever gonna change the way I feel about you."

A ghost of a smile appeared on her face as the words she had used to communicate her commitment and love to a wheelchair bound Danny were offered back to her. She kissed the top of Lucy's head then leaned over and kissed Danny on the cheek. "You're right," she agreed, "I think it would help."

Danny looked at her face, he stared intently. He needed to know she wasn't simply placating him, but that her comment was genuine. Seemingly satisfied by what he saw he quipped, "Ya hear that Lucy? Mommy said Daddy was right."

"Once in a blue moon, right?" Lindsay teased, the intensity of the moment gone.

Lucy, having forgiven her father, slid from her mother's lap and reached for his finger and began pulling him toward the living room to her toy box.

"I guess we're goin' to go play now. Ya comin' Mommy?" he asked smiling.

"Of course," Lindsay affirmed, jumping up. The dirty dishes could sit for a bit longer, and the weather wasn't that important, but before they got too involved with their daughter's imaginary world, Lindsay offered, "and Danny, I...thank you for..." she hesitated as she searched for the right word; caring, loving, strengthening.

But before she could finish, Danny jumped in with, "Anytime, babe." Then he handed her a plastic whistle, to go along with the toy xylophone Lucy had handed him. As Lucy, beat on the play drum, her parents jumped in and began playing their instruments. While the music they created wasn't a masterpiece, and actually was far from being in tune or harmonious, it was a happy sound that was only magnified as they laughed at their own silliness. The darkness of the world was not forgotten, but was kept at bay by their song.

The end.

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**Thanks for reading!**

**I have to apologize for not updating any of my stories, my laptop crashed, and I learned the hard way that I should have backed up my documents. Everything I had written was lost and I may have had a slight rage stroke. LOL! I was so frustrated, I just didn't want to deal with it. Now that I've come to terms with my loss and have accepted the fact that I'm going to have rewrite it all, I hope to have some new stuff to post by the end of next week (if not earlier).**


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